Behold, the Lamb of God!

Sunday October 27, 2013

Behold, the Lamb of God!

John 1:29, 36

I read the following story somewhere:

A tourist visited a church in Germany. He was surprised to see the carved figure of a lamb near the top of the church’s tower. He asked why was it there. He was told that when the church was being built, a workman fell from a high scaffold. His coworkers rushed down, expecting to find him dead, but, to their surprise and joy, he was alive and only slightly injured.

How did he survive?

A flock of sheep was passing beneath the tower at the time, and the workman landed on top of a lamb. The lamb broke the workman’s fall and it was crushed to death, but the man was saved.

To commemorate this miraculous escape, someone carved a lamb on the tower at the exact height from which the workman fell.

In our Bible passage this morning, John the Baptist described Jesus Christ as “the Lamb of God”. This expression “Lamb of God” may sound strange to the average 21st century person but not to the First Century Jew. To the First Century Jew in the time of John the Baptist, the expression “Lamb of God” would bring to mind the “Passover Lamb”

What is Passover?

Passover was an annual celebration, when the Jews remembered how God had delivered them from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. The story is found in God’s Word in the book of Exodus.

Round about 1500 B.C, God called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. But Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let them go. So, God sent 10 plagues on the Egyptians.

At Passover, the Jews remembered the tenth plague in particular. The tenth plague was when God sent the Angel of Death to destroy all the first-born in the land of Egypt. However, the Angel of Death passed over (from which we get the word PASSOVER) those Jewish households where the blood of a lamb had been sprinkled on the tops and sides of the doorframe of the house.

In every household in Egypt that night, there was either a dead lamb or a dead firstborn.

It was only after this 10th plague that Pharaoh finally yielded to Moses. He finally allowed God’s people, the Jews, to leave Egypt.

God commanded His people to celebrate this act of liberation and salvation from Egypt by holding a festival every year. This festival was called the ‘Feast of Passover’. In that ‘Feast of Passover’, every Jewish household was to sacrifice a one-year old male lamb without defect or blemish. This lamb was known as the ‘Passover lamb’

So, when John the Baptist saw Jesus Christ and cried out,

“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, what did he mean?

First of all, ‘Behold’ is not just look-a quick look, a glance like you glance at your watch…no…’Behold’ is to take a long look, a long viewing to admire, to contemplate, to stand in awe and to reflect upon. I dare say, in this context, to worship and adore Christ, the Lamb of God!

The lamb is an innocent pure animal. Jesus Christ was completely innocent, pure and holy. He committed no sin at all. He was guiltless and sinless.

In our last sermon last time, we saw Jesus is the Living Word of God, the Creator of the whole universe, the Life and the Light of the world.

Yes, Jesus Christ is absolutely God made flesh. He is actually God-Man and Man-God, Son of God and Son of Man. He is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. The whole creation points to Him and the whole Bible, from the first book of Genesis to the last book of Revelation point to Him.

The lamb was an innocent sacrifice, whose shed blood protected the Jews against Death on that fatal night in Egypt. Jesus Christ Is the Lamb of God! He was God’s Sacrifice for us. That was what John the Baptist was also drawing attention to.

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away their sin of the world.”

In Isaiah 53, we read in verses 5-8

5 He (Jesus Christ) was pierced because of our transgressions,

Crushed because of our iniquities;

Punishment for our peace was on Him,

And we are healed by His wounds

6 We all went astray like sheep;

We all have turned to our own way;

And the Lord has punished Him

For the iniquity of us all

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth.

Like a lamb led to the slaughter

And like a sheep silent

Before her shearers,

He did not open His mouth.

8 He was taken away because of oppression and judgment;

And who considered His fate?

So, what now?

Now, I ask you, dear ones,

Will you consider Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? your sins and mine? Will you behold Him?

He, God made flesh, to sacrifice Himself on the Cross, to die for you and me, for our sins, to save us from spiritual death and Hell!

I Peter 1:18-19 declare

18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things, like silver or gold,

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.

Are you willing to be like Jesus, the Lamb of God?

Will you sacrifice yourself for others' good? To save others from an eternity in hell!

Will you share the Good News of the Gospel of salvation to your lost family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors…

Will you love God and each other as Christ loved you?

Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ came down from Heaven as the Lamb of God, as Savior of Humankind. Soon, He will be coming back, as He promised, not as Savior then, not as the lamb to be slain again, but as the Lion of Judah, the Holy judge of Humanity.

Are you ready? Will you be ready?

Let’s pray…

Mid-term tips to Math students.

1. Accept the fact that you are in the middle of an important course.

2. Be and do the very best you can.

3. Come to class on time.

4. Do not procrastinate in homework.

5. Engage yourself fully in the course.

6. Forget the past failures.

7. Go forward!

8. Help one another.

9. Improve yourself.

10. Just ask your questions in class.

11. Know that we believe in and trust you.

12. Love one another and Math!

13. Master the Arithmetic and Algebra skills.

14. No turning back! No quitting!

15. Overcome any obstacle and difficulty.

16. Pray to God regularly.

17. Quit doubting yourself and your capacity.

18. Resist temptations and overcome them.

19. Search for the solutions patiently-Persevere.

20. Test yourself first through the MyMathLab Practice tests

21. Utilize the many available resources at your disposal.

22. Value the life-time benefits of a good mathematical education.

23. Work faithfully towards your success.

24. Xcel in class behavior and performance.

25. Your present choices and decisions will affect your future success and happiness.

26. Zoom in your current commitments, including Mathematics.

Dear Students,

Remember that Mathematics is not only a great career-builder but also a great character-builder, and fun too.

Hell, The Cross, and Heaven

Dear Reader,

What comes to your mind when you think of Hell? The Cross? and Heaven?

Personally, I would not know about Hell, the Cross, and Heaven had they not been told to me by others. I now know that these realities are found in the Bible, which is the Word of God. So, I got to believe in them. Therefore, when I think of Hell, I see:

-Everlasting punishment and torment in an eternal burning fire
-Total eternal separation from God

When I think of the Cross, I see:

-Jesus Christ, the Savior
-Salvation
-God's Sacrifice
-God's amazing love for us, sinners
-Man's terrible depravity and sinfulness
-Satan's hatefulness
-Satan's wickedness
-Jesus' obedience to His Father God
-Jesus' pure innocence
-Jesus' meekness and humility
-God's Mercy over us
-God's Grace unto us
-The Bridge between Hell and Heaven
-The Bridge between sinful Man and God
-Our wise God's victory over the devil/Satan

And when I think of Heaven, I see:

-God
-Jesus Christ
-Holy Spirit
-Angels
-Saints
-Perfectness
-Beauty
-Peace
-Agape love
-Appreciation
-Admiration
-Joy
-Perfect Praise
-Adoration
-Worship
-Wonders
-Abundance
-Eternal bliss and felicity
-Unity
-Harmony
-Oneness
-Purity
-Holiness
-Nobility
-Wisdom
-Ecstasy
-Light
-Life
-Knowledge
-Truth
-Humility
-Patience
-Gentleness
-Meekness
-Understanding
-Mutual Enjoyment

O Hallelujah! Praise, Honor, and Glory be to Our Most Wonderful Awesome God!

I know, dear Reader, you'd choose Heaven over Hell. Choose Jesus. Decide to follow Him and you shall be saved. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Yes, Jesus is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life! (John 14:6). No one can go Heaven except through Him. Choose to believe in Christ Jesus and you will spend eternity in Heaven, not hell. So be it! Amen.

Where are we heading?

Dear Friend,

Where are we heading towards with

Alcoholism and Adultery?
Barbarism and Bestiality?
Corruption and Crimes ?
Drugs and Drunkenness?
Eroticism and Exhibitionism?
Fits and Fornication?
Greed and Gluttony?
Homosexuality and Hooliganism?
Idolatry and Immorality?
Juvenile delinquency and Joblessness?
Knowledge of evil and Killings?
Licentiousness and Lack of morals?
Misbehavior and Mindlessness?
Naughtiness and No Morality?
Open Immorality and Oppression?
Pornography and Prostitution?
Quacks and Quick Fixes?
Rage and Robberies?
Selfishness and Self-Glorification?
Trouble-Making and Terrorism?
Universalism and Unlimited Sinning?
Vulgarity and Violence?
Waywardness and Wars?
X-rated shows and X-rated activities?
Youth rebellion and Youth revolt?
Zaniness and Zombiness?

Instead of heading to Hell, we can end up in eternal bliss and felicity in Majestic Heaven throughout eternity if we

Admit our sinfulness and total depravity
Believe in Jesus Christ as Our Lord and Savior
Confess our sins and our need of the Savior
Do away with sin and decide to follow Jesus Christ forever
Express trust and faith in Him
Forgive each other and fellowship with one another as Christ's followers
Go and make disciples of others
Hold fast to God's Word
Intercede and pray
Join and partner with God in His Mission of Agape Love and Truth
Know God and His Word better and better
Love God and each other
Make, mature and mobilize disciples of Christ
Nip off any sinful thought and attitude
Overcome temptations in the Name of Jesus Christ
Please God always
Quit evil for good
Repent whenever we fail God
Seek His Kingdom and Righteousness
Trust and Obey God
Unite with God's Holy Spirit and Family
Voice out God's Word in Love
Witness for Christ and win souls unto Him
Xcel in everything we do
Yield and surrender to the Holy Spirit always and
Zoom in Christ wherever we are

Praise, Honor and Glory be to Our Most Holy Lord God! Amen.